Gustave s



(No Model.)

G. S. NEU.

ELEGTEIG WIEE TAPPEE. No. 467,891. Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

@'yfx W/TNESSES.' INVENTOH .e/ il UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUsTAvE s. NEU, oE NEW Yoan, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-WIRE TAPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,891, dated January.26, 1.892. Application tiled September 17, 1891. Serial No. 405,970.(No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GUsTAvE S. NEU, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Electric-Tire Tappers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for making temporary connection with anelectric wire, as for detecting the presence or absence of an electriccurrent, or testing or measuring the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenientinstrument for this purpose, which maybe readily applied to and detachedfrom an insulated wire of any size; and to this end the inventioncomprises a handle, a V-shaped seat to receive and firmly hold the Wirewhatever be its size, a pointed contact to pierce the insulation of thewire and co-operate with the seat in holding the wire, a guide in whichthe contact is movably iitted, and means for locking the contact andseat together.

The invention will first be described in detail, and its severalfeatures then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of anelectric-wire tapper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional View of the same.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.

In the form of my invention thus represented a handle A is formed withalongitudinal tube B to serve as a guide for a longitudinally-slidingmetallic rod C, the lower end C of which is sharp-pointed and projectsfrom the lower end of the tube.

Directly and longitudinally opposite the pointed end C a V-shaped seat Dis formed on an extension A of the handle A, in which the wire E to betapped is received and centered opposite the metallic point C', asshown. The metallic rod C is then moved downward until its sharp point Cpierces the insulation F of the wire and makes electric contact with thewire, when the current, if any, will have free access to the rod C.

A binding-screw G is provided on the handle A, in electric connectionwith the rod C, for connection with another wire, which may be led to agalvanometer or other testing device or to a return-wire, with whichconnection may be had by another tapper.

Forlocking the contact-rod C to the tapped Wire I here employ aset-screw H, working through the tubular guide onto the rod C, byreleasing which set-screw the tapper may be readily disconnected fromthe tapped wire E. The outer end of the contact-rod is by preterenceformed with a headfas shown. The outside of the end of the seat-holdingextension A is also made V-shaped to permit its ready introductionbeneath the wire whereever situated.

I claim as my inventionl. An electric-wire tapper comprising a V- shapedseat for the wire, a guide, and a sharppointed contactto pierce theinsulation guided in a line directed at the center of the V-seat,substantially as described.

2. In an electric-Wire tapper, the combination, with a tubular guide anda V-shaped wire seat, of a contact-rod fitted to slide lengthwise insaid guide in aline directed at the center of the V-seat, substantiallyas described.

In an electric-wire tapper, the combination, with a tubular guide, aV-shaped wire seat, and an unthreaded contact-rod fitted to slidelengthwise in said guide in the line of the center of the V-seat,ofaset-screw to lock the sliding contact-rod to its tubular guide,substantially as described.

GUSTAVE S. NEU.

lVitnesses: Y

CLARENCE L. BURGER, "BUENHAM KALIscH.

